Tanja Huffman, CGA

Not sure how two weeks have passed by so quickly. Been busy catching up at work, but it’s just that time of year where it seems I can’t get ahead of it. Just about done my December advertising finally, so then I can concentrate on some of the events that are coming up.

Santa arrives on Saturday, so this week has been busy setting up the Chalet and getting things ready to go. Tomorrow I still have to set up the camera and photo printer and stock the photo counter with all the supplies.

Last weekend was pretty busy as well. Saturday was my sister’s CGA graduation. Dad, Del and myself joined her in Toronto for the New Member Ceremony. It was downtown at the Westin Harbour Hotel. We left home at 10:30am with a short stop at the mall so I could make sure the Remembrance Day announcement got played.

After checking my sister and Del into their hotel we went down to the ceremony. There are 775 new CGA in Ontario alone, luckily just over 500 showed up to the ceremony. My sister had to go in lineup about an hour before it was set to start, so we went and sat down in the call amongst 2000 others. For the entire hour before it started they had a CGA commercial that looped the entire time. The commercial was only 1 ½ minutes long…Del and I took turns reciting it. The ceremony was surprising short, it was just 2 ½ hours long. We then had a bit of time before the banquet, so we took my sister’s certificates up to their room and then went to the hotel bar for a drink (or two). Dinner was excellent; 1200 people attended this.

The menu:

Butternut Squash, Pear and Sage Cream Soup

Marinated Vine Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad with Basil Oil and Balsamic Syrup

Fire-grilled Alberta AAA Sirloin and Oven-roasted Chicken Breast Potato Gratin, Intense Red Wine Reduction

Molten Lemon and White Chocolate Cake, with a Citrus Marmalade Glaze, Stewed Berries and Honey Crisp

The soup was SO good!! As was the rest, but I just love soup!

My dad and I stayed about 45 minutes after the dinner and then left. I had to let my sister’s dogs out and I was a bit worried about Asili being inside for almost 14 hours. But we got home just after midnight and all the dogs were fine and were well-behaved.

At the bar:


Before Dinner:


Sunday morning I was at work for 9am, after going to my sister’s house to let the dogs out again, to begin the main setup of the Santa Chalet. I was home sometime after 12, meant to have a one hour nap and then clean the house for my Mom’s return home the next day. But I ended up sleeping until almost 6pm, but my Dad had done some of the cleaning, all I had to do was the sweeping, vacuuming and mopping. Dad made pork roast in a wine sauce that was great! I love it when my Dad cooks, all those hours watching The Food Network have paid off, he comes up with some really good dishes!

My Mom made it home safely Monday night; we had dinner at my sister’s. Came home and I finished reading “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter”. Such a good book! Every book I’ve picked up in the last two months has been so good – I can’t stop reading!

I finally finished uploading some of my Germany photos; if you are so inclined you can look at the album here.

I wasn't completely motivated to name them all, but the basics are there.

Tomorrow I'm picking the boys up at the sitter's in Orillia and watching them for the evening as my sister and Del are going to the casino for a show.

Next Thursday I'm going to see Jewel at the Casino with Jamie-Lee and on Saturday I'm heading to Toronto to see Chicago with Melissa!

I'm off to catch some sleep.